Balancing mechanism for automatic fluid control systems



Aug. 15, 1933. A. E. WEINGARTNER BALANCING IECHANISI FOR AUTOMATIC FLUIDCONTROL SYSTEMS Filed Dec. 27, 1929 VIII Ill [III/II VIII/Ill 7 III/III)IIIII Patented Aug. 15, 1933 PATENT: OFFICE BALANCING MECHANISM FOR,AUTOMATIC FLUID CONTROL SYSTEMS Anthony E. Weingartner, Philadelphia,Pa., as-

signor to American Engineering Company,

Philadelphia, Pa., a Corporation of Pennsylvania Application December27, 1929 Serial No. 416,881

' 7 Claims. (Cl. lav-1'44) This invention relates to control apparatusfor fluid control systems and more particularly to a control apparatusfor-fluid control systems such as illustrated in the patent of MaxwellAlpern,

No. 1,745,238, dated January 28, 1930, for automatic fluid controlsystem. ll

- The fluid control system of such application comprises a series ofducts each having arranged therein a throttle which is controlled by amotor having one or more movable vanes. In operation of this system itis necessary that the movements of the various motors be interconnected;that'is to say, as one motor operates to open the associated throttle asecond motor must operate reversely so that the quantity of airdelivered through the entire system of ducts will be substantiallyuniform. The application above identified illustrates the mechanicalmeans for accomplishing this end.

An important object of the present invention is to provide hydrostaticmeans for accomplishing the interconnection which is of such characterthat it may be very readily installed and will require but littleattention in operation embodying the minimum number of bearings andmechanical connections requiring attention on the part of the operator.

These and other objects I attain by. the construction shown in theaccompanying drawing wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I haveshown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

' Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view illustrating one form ofhydrostatic interconnection between the various motors; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views, certain of the fluid control systemelements being omitted from the showing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawhaving throttling means 11arranged therein and a motor for operating such throttling means. Thesethrottling means are more particularly illustrated in the co-pendingapplication above identified and in the diagrammatic illustration hereemployed include a pair of vanes 12 connected to the throttle elementsto operate the same and interconnected with one another as at 13 so thatthey will have similar but reversed movements.

In accordance with the present invention, I associate with each of theducts a chamber 14 each adapted to contain a fluid F and each connectedas at 15 with a source of such fluid generally designated in the presentinstance by a ing, the numeral 10 generally designates a duct conduit16. The valve 17 serves as a means for maintaining the fluid F at agiven level in chambers 14. Chambers 14 are interconnected by a conduit18 having branches 19 extending upwardly through the center of eachchamber and having their upper ends open. Inverted over each branch 19is a bell 20 which, through link and lever connections indicatedgenerally at 21, is connected to one of the vanes 12 of the motor.

It will be obvious that if a given motor opero5 ates and in suchoperation moves the vanes thereof so that the associated bell 20 isforced downwardly into theliquid the air trapped in the bell will becompressed and the pressure thus generated will be transmitted throughconduit 18 and its branches 19 to each of the remaining bells 20.Pressure will thus be brought to bear in each of these bells to elevatethe same and to cause the vanes of the associated motor to move towardone another. The vanes 12 are actuated through differences in pressurein the ducts 10 with which they are associated and it will, of course,be obvious that these pressures will serve to maintain the vanes in agiven position. If, therefore, the pressure in a given duct is such thatthese vanes may approach one another the bell of this duct will be mostreadily affected by the pressure and will have the greatest movement. Asa matter of fact, in practical operation each duct,wherein the pressureis such that the vanes have agreater tendency to approach one anotherthan they have in the duct where the vanes are separating, will beaffected and the apparatus will maintain a uniform combined effectiveopening of the ducts at the throttles 11.

In the structure of Fig. 2 instead of employing air pressure produced bythe head to effect the change in position of the vanes, the hydrostatichead is entirely relied upon for obtaining this end. The bodies 22disposed in the liquid chambers 9 14a may be solid bodies of anycharacter and the transmission of the hydrostatic head resulting fromraising or lowering of these bodies will increase or decrease thebuoyant factor of the remaining bodies so that the vanes thereof aremore or less easily moved. Bodies 22 may be solid bodies, or asillustrated in Fig. 3, may be in the form of floats 23. In each of thestructures of Figs. 2 and 3, the chambers are, of course, interconnectedas at 24 so that there may be no permanent differences between theactual fluid levels of these chambers although the hydrostatic head ofall the chambers may vary.

As the constructions illustrated are obviously capable of a considerablerange and modification cluding a plurality of ducts and throttling meansfor each duct of an operating means including a movable element for thethrottling means of each.

duct and hydrostatic means operatively interconnecting said movableelements whereby upon 3 a predetermined movement of the movable elementor one duct in a given direction a corre sponding movement of themovable element of results.

2. In a control of the character described: a plurality of motors eachembodyinga movable vane, a body connectedwith each movable vane, afluid-containing chamber associated with each static head produced bymovement of the body in any of said chambers to the bodies of theremaining chambers.

3. In a control of the type described, a series of motors each includinga movable vane, a fluid containing-chamber associated with each motor, abody connected with the vane to be moved thereby and extending into thefluid of the chamber and means interconnecting the chambers whereby thestatic head in all of said chambers is varied by movement of any of saidbodies in its individual chamber. a

4. In control means of the character described, a series of movableelements, liquid-containing means, a series of inverted bells immersedin said liquid and respectively connected with said elements, and a ductinterconnecting the interiors of said bells whereby movement of one ofsaid elements may be transmitted tothe others'by pressure of a fluidtrapped in said bells. I

5. In control means of the character described, a-series of movable,elements, liquid containing means, a series of inverted bells immersedin said bells whereby movement of one of saideleme'nts maybe transmittedto the others by pressure of a fluid trapped in said bells, and meansfor regulating the level oithe liquid in, said containing means. 7 7

another duct or ducts in the opposite direction;

including a plurality or ducts and throttling Jj means-{or each duct, ofoperating means including a. movable element for the throttling means of,eachduct, a liquid-containing vessel, a series of -;inverted bellsimmersed in said liquid and respecmovable vane and into which the bodyextends and an operative interconnection between the; chambers fortransmitting variations in hydro 6.,The combination in a fluid controlsystem tively connected with said elements, and a ductinterconnectingthe interiors of said bells whereby movement of one orsaid elements may be transmittedtothe others by pressure of a fluidtrapped in said bells.

ANTHONY E. WEINGARTNER. I

